Latch retracting mechanism



March 23, 1943. x G. E. cum-lan 2,314,609

LATCH RETRACTIG MECHANISM original Filed may s. 1940 Patented Mar. 23,1943 Laren nn'raac'rINo MECHANISM George E. Curtiss, Jr., Abington, Pa.,assigner to The Stanley Works, New Britain, Conn., a oorporation ofConnecticut @riginal application May 28, 1940, Serial No'.

337,639. Divided and this application JanuaryY 27, 1941, Serial No.376,076

2 Claims.' (Cl. 2%2--16-7) The present invention relates to latches ofthe type used on refrigerator doors, though not limited thereto, and isconcerned with a novel retracting mechanism for withdrawing the latchbolt. i A

This application is a divisional of application Serial No. 337,639,filed Mayl 28, 1940.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved latchingmechanism of simple, compact and inexpensive construction having a boltnormally eiectively held in latching position by .a heavy spring and anovel retracting mech.- anism including a manually operable handlelccated remotely from the latching mechanism and cooperably connectedthereto for retracting the l bolt.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a latchingmechanism of this type having the further advantage of requiring theapplication of but slight effort to the manually operable handle forretracting the latch bolt to unlatched position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a retractingmechanism having a handle so constructed and so journalled that it canbe moved in a variety of directions to accomplish the desired retractionof the latch bolt.

Cther objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more indetail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will beexempliiied in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope `ofthe application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 shows a front elevation of a portion of a door having mountedthereon latching and operating mechanism made in accordance with thepresent invention;

Fig. 2 shows the operating mechanism of Fig. 1 before mounting on thedoor with the handle and escutcheon removed therefrom;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the operating mechanism takenthrough lines 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4 4 of Fig. 3 showingan end elevation of the latch operating mechanism.

In order to illustrate one application of the present invention there isshown generally a refrigerator door D to which there is secured a frameF for supporting a latching mechanism L including a latch bolt B', and amanually operable retracting mechanism B including a handle H. Asindicated in Figs. 1 and 2 the frame Fl includes a channel shapedsection I0 having Welded to its upper end a retracting mechanism supporti2 and having similarly welded to its lower end a U shaped mounting Hifor the latch mechanism. In the present instance the support I2 isProvided with a vertical bearing plate It having a vertical end wall ISand upper and lower horizonta1 side walls 26 at right angles thereto andto the bearing platel I5. In order to properly secure the frame F to thedoor D the outer ends of the walls I3 and 2o are respectively providedwith ears 22 and 24 securable to a mounting plate 26 on the refrigeratordoor D by means of suitablev screws 28 and 30. The lower end of theframe, comprising the U-shaped mounting ii `is similarly provided withflanges 32 securable to another mounting plate on the door by means ofscrews 36 as illustrated in Fig. l'.

Referring more specifically to the retracting mechanism B i1; includesAa crossheadv C slidably mounted on the support I2. To accomplish this,the crossheadl comprises *a rear stem portion 33 siidably secured in' aslot 45 in the end wall I3; and a flat bearing surface i2, forwardlythereof, slidably secured tothe bearing plate I6 by a headed stud lili,xed to the pla-te I6, and extending through an elongated slot 48 in thecrosshead. A spring 58 surrounds the stem 38- andl isv compressedbetween the end Wall` i3- and a pair of shoulders 52 on the steinwhereby the crosshead C is normally urged to the left as indicatedY inFigs.; 2 and '3.3 According to the invention, the crosshead--C must bemoved rearwardly against the action -of the spring 5S to retract thelatch bolt B. In order to so move the crosshead, it is provided with acrossarm 5d having shoulders 5t and 5l operatively engaged by a yoke 5Bsecured to the handle H.

More specically the yoke 53 includes a pair of spaced camming oiTsets orflanges '69 and 6I disposed forwardly of the crossarm shoulders 56 andiii and in engagement therewith, for camming the shoulders rearwardlyagainst the action of the spring 59. The yoke further includes anarcuated journalling flange 62 engaging the periphery of the bearingplate stud 4d for fulcruming the yoke thereon. The yoke 58 is secured onone end of a stud 6, the other end of which is secured by a screw 65 ina cored recess 68 in the journalled end of the handle I-I. The handlefurther comprises the usual lever arm 10 having a grip member 12 on theouter end thereof.

According to the present invention the handle' I-I is movable in avariety of directions to actuate the crosshead C to retract the latchbolt B. For this reason the journalled end of the handle H comprises ahalf-round or hemispherical bearing end 'I4 movably secured in a matingsocket 16 provided in a mounting fixture or escutcheon 'I8 having a slot80 therein throu-gh which the stud 44 extends. The escutcheon is securedto the surface of the door wall 26 by the screws 28 and 30 which alsomount the support I2 thereon, as heretofore indicated.

The retracting mechanism thus far described operates in the followingmanner: Referring to Fig. 1, when the handle I-I is rotated in either aclockwise or a counterclockwise direction, the stud 64 rotates therewithand one or the other of the yoke flanges 60 or 6| cams the cooperatingshoulder of the crossarm 54 rearwardly against the action of the spring50. It will be noted that the arcuated journalling flange 62 fulcrumsthe yoke on the bearing plate stud 44 so that the yoke stud 64 does notfrictionally bind in the escutcheon slot 8D. The movement of thecrosshead, thus effected, is sufcient to retract the latch to unlatchingposition, as will be hereinafter described. The same movement of thecrosshead is obtained by drawing the handle H away from the door in aplane vertical thereto instead of moving it in a plane parallel with thedoor. When the handle is drawn away from the door, the yoke stud 64 ismoved transversely in the escutcheon slot 80 and both of the flanges 60and 6| engage the cooperating shoulders 56 and 51 to cam the crossheadrearwardly.

In order to transfer the movement of the crosshead to the latchingmechanism L to retract the latch bolt, there is provided a transferlinkage comprising a pair of connected bell cranks 82 and 84respectively, pivotally mounted at the upper and lower ends of thechannel seetion l0. As shown in Fig. l, one arm 8'6 ofthe upper bellcrank lever 82 is provided with a flange 81 operatively engaging thefree end of the crosshead stem 38.- The other lever arm 88 is providedwith an eyelet in which one end of a rod 89 is secured, and thecorresponding arm 90 of the lower bell crank 84 is provided with asimilar eyelet in which the lower end of the rod 89 is secured. Theremaining arm -92 of the crank 84 is provided with a flange 93, similarto flange- 81, for operatively enga-ging the latch mechanism L.

As many changes could be madein the above construction and manyapparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be madewithout departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingshall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the followingclaims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features ofthe invention herein described and al1 statements of the scope of theinvention which, as a matter of language, might be said to falltherebetween.

I claim as my invention:

1. A latch operating means comprising a supporting structure, acrosshead supported for rectilinear sliding movement on said structureand having a pair of shoulders, a spring associated with said crossheadfor normally urging the same to one position, saidsupporting structurehaving a parti-spherical socket and a slot at the bottom of the socketextending generally in the direction of the line of movement of saidcrosshead, a handle having a parti-spherical end fitting in said socketand a stud projecting from said end of said handle and through said slotto permit of pivotal and rotational movements of said handle in planesat right angles to each other, and a yoke secured to the inner end ofsaid stud and having flanges respectively engaging behind said shoulderswhereby said crosshead is operated on either a rotary `or pivotalmovement of said handle.

2. A latch operating means comprising a supporting structure, acrosshead mounted thereon for rectilinear sliding movement and having apair of shoulders and an elongated slot, a stud secured to saidstructure projecting through said slot and having a cylindrical head onits forward end, a spring normally urging said crosshead to oneposition, said supporting structure having a parti-spherical socketforwardly of said stud and an elongated slot in the bottom of saidsocket, a handle having a parti-spherical end .lournaled in said socketfor pivotal and rotatable movements in planes at right angles to oneanother, a stud secured to said end of said handle and extending throughthe slot in the bottom of said socket, and a yoke secured to the innerend of said last mentioned stud and having a pair of flangesrespectively engaging said shoulders of said crosshead, said yoke alsohaving a flange engaging the periphery of said cylindrical head forfulcruming the yoke thereon.

GEORGE E. CURTISS, JR.

